Catch.



F. BURNS.

CATCH.

APPUCATION FILED MAY 1B. 1918.

In: no"); PETERS m, Puumunia. nun/mew. n. c.

Patented Apr. 15,191Sl awuemioz .Fr'vn Bar/75 2, tails of construction whereby the above:

FRAN K BURNS, OF WESTFIELD, NEW YORK.

. en son.

To, all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK BURNS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and Useful Improvements in Catches, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates-to certain new and useful improvements incatches or latches or fastening devices-for boxes, trunks or other receptacles or articles and it has for its objects among others to provide asimple, cheap yet eiiicient and. reliable .catch or.latch so constructed asnot to present any protruding parts", the same being designed to beset in flush with the face of the box or other article to: whichit is applied.

It has for further object to providev a device of this character capable of manuface with small cost, notliable to injury or to getout of order and one in which the .parts shall be automatically drawn together and locked in p sitionand securely held against accidental separation.

I a1 furtherat lmprovements in the de-:

named results are obtained and the. latch members readily assembled and the device as a: whole applied in position by unskilled labor m e Other objectsand advantages of the m vention will hereinafter appear and the novel; features thereof will be. particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The inventlonis clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part-of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a rear elevationof one form ofmy improvement with a portion broken awa and shown in section. r v

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrowsfl v. H

Fig. Sis-a viewlooking at the bolt-receivin'gedge of. the main portion of the latch. y, r I w a rear elevation of a modified Fig. 5is an'edgeviewof thesame. g p Fig.6 is a detail in elevation of a modified form of bolt member. f p

"ike numerals of reference indicate like parts'ithroughoiitthe difl'erent views. f

Referringfirst'to. Figs. 1,2 and 3, 1'-des1ghat thebody stairs]: of the asset-rehash Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed May 18, 1918. Serial No. 235,312.

may assume any desired contour having holes 2 for the reception of the screws or other means by which it is securedin position upon the box or other receptacle. It has a cut-away portion or opening 3 from one side of which extends the member 4 at substantiallyrightangles to the body portion 1 and this portion 4 has a slot 5 through which passes the leverfi and in which it has limited movement.

' Thebody portion 1 has, at what may be I forms of means may be provided, however,

for mounting the lever. The lever is. extended in the form of a yoke 14, as seen best in Fig. 2, both ends of the yoke being enlarged, as seen at 15,.and mounted upon the member 9.

16 is a spring encircling the member 9 between the side members of the yoke, with one end bearing against the lateral portion 4, as seen at 17 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the other end bearing against the cross member 18 of the yoke, as seen at 19 in said Figs. 1 and 2.

The spring thus tends to normally force the yoke in the direction indicated by-the arrow at in Fig. 1. y

20 is a plate designed to be secured by screwsor other means to the under side of the'top of the box ortrunk or other receptacle and having depending therefrom a stud or bolt 21, as seen clearly in Fig.1, the free end of which is made conical, as seen at 22, which serves to center the bolt member asthe lid. is brought to its closed position. Projecting laterally from the bolt member 21 is the lug 23, the upper face of which is slightly inclined or rounded, as shown at 24, for a purpose which will soon be made clear. V j

In use, the member 11 being afiixed'to the box or other receptacle within a chamber or recess providedtherefor so as to receive the member4 and the lever and yoke, and the member2O being applied tothe under side the lug or' projection 23 engaging the edge of the cross member of the yoke forces the same to one side, against the tension of the spring, until the lug or pro ection passes said cross portion of the yoke when the spring forces the yoke over the upper edge a of the lug or projection and, by reason of the. rounded or inclined upper face of the lug, the yoke riding thereupon serves to antomaticallydraw the bolt and, consequently, the top or lid of the receptacle down snugly upon the receptacle and the spring acts to keep the parts firmly in close engagement and avoids any possibility of accidental separation of the parts. lVhen it is desired to open the lid, all that it is necessary to do is to reach through the opening 3 With the thumb or finger and move the latch 6 in the directionof the arrow bin Fig. 1, When the cross portion of the yoke moved out of engagement with the lug or projection 23' and thelid is free to be moved intoopen position.

In Figa. d .I have shown a device embodying all of the essentials of the form just de:- scribed and operating in the same Way except that the lever 26 is arranged at right angles to the yoke 27, as clearly indicated in said figure, the other parts being the same, the only difference being that in ac tuating the lever to disengage its yoke from the lug on the bolt, the lever is moved do\\'n Ward in-the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 4, and the member 28, whichcorrc spends, to .the member 4 in Fig. 1, is dis-, posed parallel with the yoke instead of at right angles thereto. One end of the spring 16 bears against the member 28 and the other against the cross portion 29 of the yoke, In all essentialls,however, the construction is the same, both as to the disposition of the parts and the mode of operation-except that, as above stated, in this latterform, Ijig, lf, the lever is disposed at right] angles to]the yoke and to the bolt instead of all three of these members being substantially in parallel relation.

.In some instances I may constructthe member 20 with, a right-angled face member 30, as seen in ,Fig. 5, Which serves to strengthen thesame and which Will be set into theedge of the cover, as will be readily understood. i r

In some cases I may construct the bolt member carried by the member; 20 as seen in Fig. 6,. l1erein said bolt member 31 has the conical end 32 serving to centerthe bolt, as in the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2- and 4, but, instead of hayingv the lateral lug or projection, I form the bolt adjacent the member 20 With a cutaway portlon 33 forming a shoulder 34- aga1nst Whlch the cross member of the yoke engages as the cover is closed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised a simple, efficient and durable and reliable form of catch for the purposes stated and, While the structural embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed is what I' at thepre-sent 'time consider preferable,

it is evident that thesam e .is subject to changes, variations and modifications in details, proportions and relative arrange anda relatively-movable member provided with a bolt portionmovableiat right angles to thepivot of said lever and interlockable with and adaptedfor cooperation with and endwise movement by -thecross. portion of theangular member, said body portion having an opening through ,WhlCll, the said lever is accessible for voperationpand the lever 'be ing disposed entirely behind said body por tion. i i V 2. A catch comprising a body portion with an openingvand lateralllugwith slot,;a 00mg bined actuating lever and bolt-engaging member ,pivoted insaid body portioniwith the lever extended, through said slot and accessible through." said opening, a 1 spring bearing against; saidv .lug and. against the bolt-engaging member,:,and a bolt movable at right angles to.thefpivot.of said bolt,- engaging member and engageable fiv ith the latter, the said lever, being disposed in its entirety behindnthefl'said, body portion and protected thereby. i .7

3. A catch comprising a body portion with opening and lateral lug with slot,,a,,c0mbined. .yoke, and actuating lever, pivoted in said body portion with the lever extended through said slot, a spring bearing against said dug and against the cross portion of the yoke, and a bolt movable at right'angles to the pivot of the yoke andengageablei/vith the cross portion thereoffsaid bolt having a lug projecting outwardly to. engage/the said cross portion. v a j;

4:. A catch comprising a body portionwith opening and laterallugjwith slot, a ;combined yoke; and actuating lever pivoted in said body portion with the lever extended said lug and against the cross portion of the yoke, and a bolt movable at right angles to the pivot 01" the yoke and engageable with the cross portion thereof, said bolt having a lug projecting outwardly to engage the said cross portion, and inclined upon its outer face.

5. A catch comprising a body portion having an opening and a lateral member, a lever pivotally mounted on the body por tion and movable through said member and accessible through said opening, a yoke mounted on the pivot of and movable with the lever and a spring acting on the yoke to normally hold it in engagement with a cooperating bolt, combined with a member having a bolt portion with lateral lug adapted to interlock with the cross member of the yoke, and conical end serving as a centering means.

6. A catch comprising a body portion having an opening and a lateral member, a lever pivotally mounted on the body portion and movable through said member and accessible through said opening, a yoke movable with the lever and a spring acting on the yoke to normally hold it in engagement with a cooperating bolt, combined With a member having a bolt portion with lateral lug adapted to interlockwith the cross member of the yoke and conical end serving as a centering means, the upper face of said lug being inclined for cooperation with the cross portion of the yoke.

7. A catch comprising a body portion having a countersunk opening, lever, and a pivot for the lever having one end riveted in the countersunk opening, the countersunk portion serving as a washer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK BURNS.

Witnesses:

E. H. Bonn, E. L. HUSSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

